79th new folks
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The 79th Air Refueling Squadron commander, Lt. Col. John B. Williams, recently welcomed Lt. Neal Blasco and Capt. Amanda Naylor, as the newest pilots hired to the unit. Aircrew members from Beale Air Force Base, Calif., were invited to interview for positions at a board held in the 79th ARS here at Travis in July.
Beale AFB was affected by the outcome of the most recent Base re-alignment and closure Commission in 2005. One of the results of the Commission’s work was to change the mission of the 940th Air Refueling Wing. In this change the wing lost its KC-135 Stratotankers and replaced them with RQ-4 Global Hawks. Now after a long and distinguished history of manned flight, the squadron is to change to operating unmanned aerial vehicles in a reconnaissance role.
This change and others at Beale was quite a blow to many members of the 940 ARW. Some were able to cross train to new jobs at the base, while others retired. Many began to look for positions across the Command. Travis AFB, located nearby with its extensive Air Force Reserve Command flight operations, was an obvious place for members so displaced to consider. (U.S. Air Force courtesy photo)